Atrophied thyroid: I have read a few posts that... - Thyroid UK

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Atrophied thyroid

MariaStrawCinar profile image
13 Replies

I have read a few posts that discuss a unusually TSH and atrophied thyroid. In these cases Levothyroxine does not help am I right.

I’m in hospital and they whacked up my dose to 175 from 100/125 as they have seen a v high TSH but this does not seem to help.

In this case what are the options ?

They said after major surgery and infection Labs are not going to be stable or reflective of what’s going on.

I don’t want to take so much T4 but it’s hard to introduce T3 while in here as I can feel it making me racy as does too much T4

With an atrophied thyroid do people still take meds ?

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MariaStrawCinar
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Atrophied thyroid is Ord’s thyroiditis and autoimmune

It requires same treatment as Hashimoto’s

Technically it’s Hashimoto's (with goitre) or Ord’s thyroiditis (no goitre).

Both variants are autoimmune and more commonly just called Hashimoto’s

In U.K. ….medics just call it autoimmune thyroid disease, and ignore the autoimmune aspect

Hashimoto's frequently affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels

IBS is common symptom

Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working

Poor gut function with Hashimoto’s can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten. Dairy is second most common.

Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

ESSENTIAL to have GOOD vitamin levels when taking levothyroxine for good conversion of Ft4 to Ft3

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

Usually it’s important to ONLY increase dose levothyroxine by 25mcg at a time - so up to 125mcg and 150mcg on alternate days

Which brand of levothyroxine?

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

Malabsorption issues are common with levothyroxine

academic.oup.com/edrv/artic...

Gluten intolerance and dairy intolerance are common

greygoose profile image
greygoose

I have read a few posts that discuss a unusually TSH and atrophied thyroid. In these cases Levothyroxine does not help am I right.

Depends what you mean by 'help'. If your TSH is so low it is causing your thyroid to be under-active, then the only thing you can do is take thyroid hormone replacement - levo - to correct the resulting hypothyroidism. This is called Secondary Hypothyroidism.

There's nothing you can do to help the pituitary itself. But, you should be aware that if the pituitary isn't producing adequate TSH, other pituitary hormones might be sub-optimal, too, and should be tested. Otherwise, levo by itself will not make you entirely well. All hormones need to be optimal.

I’m in hospital and they whacked up my dose to 175 from 100/125 as they have seen a v high TSH but this does not seem to help.

Well, it won't help instantly. It will take about six weeks for the increased dose to kick in. It may lower your TSH, but TSH doesn't cause symptoms.

They said after major surgery and infection Labs are not going to be stable or reflective of what’s going on.

True. So, why have they given you a wacking great increase of 50 mcg? Seems a bit rash, to me.

MariaStrawCinar profile image
MariaStrawCinar in reply togreygoose

Yes and it’s making me feel more hyper and I’m already struggling with panic attacks and anxiety due to my emergency surgery and diagnosis so I will stick to the lower dose for nowI think anti anxiety meds which i have been prescribed if needed don’t go well with thyroid meds. They are aiming for me to be discharged next week- I have stoma and physio working on mobility after abdominal surgery

Been the hardest few weeks of my life

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toMariaStrawCinar

Panic attacks and anxiety can by hypo symptoms, too.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply toMariaStrawCinar

anti anxiety meds which i have been prescribed if needed don’t go well with thyroid med

Which anti anxiety medication?

If it’s propranolol, this slows conversion and uptake of thyroid hormones

MariaStrawCinar profile image
MariaStrawCinar in reply toSlowDragon

It’s like diazepam for short term if I need itI remember propranolol not being good with thyroid meds

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

If you have had anaesthetic then this can lower B12 levels

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle

Hi maria, i was reading you previous posts and i was thinking :

if ... Levothyroxine is absorbed in the stomach or lower down in the bowel ? (I don't know the answer)

and if... you current operation is also diverticulitis again ?

maybe it would depend on where exactly in the gut the damage was... but ...

.... i wonder ... is it possible that your diverticulitis can explain some of your previously history of unexpectedly high TSH results on Levo.. ?

you had low fT4 suggesting Levo dose not being absorbed well ... (yes ,you had high fT3 , but as humanbean explained in a previous post, this is common in untreated hypo's , the high TSH prioritises fT3 production and increases T4 to T3 conversion in a desperate attempt to keep you functioning)

.... Not sure if this thought is relevant... sorry if it's not., and very sorry you find yourself in hospital again so soon, you're having a really tough time. xx

Just so you know .. below is what happens to TSH fT4/fT3 results in acute illness.... hence why they shouldn't normally use hospital 'in patient' results to adjust dose by ... however , your history of weirdly high TSH results seem to pre date your hospital situations.... and i notice "VERY high TSH" doesn't seem to figure in that chart .

/
MariaStrawCinar profile image
MariaStrawCinar in reply totattybogle

Thanks so much tattybogle yes it’s rough going on all levels

MariaStrawCinar profile image
MariaStrawCinar in reply toMariaStrawCinar

I have 10000 Vit D that I took daily but haven’t taken since being here I should take it as will help my walking surely

MariaStrawCinar profile image
MariaStrawCinar in reply totattybogle

I think you may be right about the bowel and absorption- as it was there a while probably the diverticulitis then resulted in colon removal and a stoma and now a tumour they have seen on the scan so I am dealing with a lot being in here having to recover from the op then face the next part. So really would like to control the anxiety and attacks

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply toMariaStrawCinar

Hi maria . i don't know what to say .. except send you a big hug . If i had that lot to deal with ... i'd happily take the diazepam .. i've found diazepam extremely useful on occasion.

MariaStrawCinar profile image
MariaStrawCinar in reply totattybogle

Thank you for your love and hugs

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